


Future Penalties (The Late Fees Remix)

by sksdwrld



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst, Heartache, M/M, Prostitution, Remix
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-21
Updated: 2015-04-21
Packaged: 2018-03-25 04:34:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3796873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sksdwrld/pseuds/sksdwrld
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Knowing Arthur Pendragon has never been so frustrating, until now. Or, Merlin’s side of things, picking up where <i>Late Fees</i> left off (Original fic does not need to be read first in order to understand the context of the fic. They are both miscible and stand alone.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Future Penalties (The Late Fees Remix)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [h_d](https://archiveofourown.org/users/h_d/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Late Fees](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3209642) by [h_d](https://archiveofourown.org/users/h_d/pseuds/h_d). 



> hart, I apologize because it seems that I am only capable of remixing fluffy things into heart wrenching things. I hope you can forgive me.
> 
> Thanks to brunettepet for the last minute beta!

Merlin’s mobile rang and he groaned to himself as he pulled it out of the pocket of his jeans, too tight and with strategically placed tears that showed off flashes of milky skin, one of his better assets Merlin always thought. The screen flashed at him, and under any other circumstance, he would have ignored the call, but this was _Arthur_ and he was supposed to be headed to his father’s for the weekend. Maybe he’d forgotten something, or needed a favor. Arthur was always needing favors, it seemed, although he more than repaid them with trips to the chippy just off campus, or curry take-away, fancy drinks from the cafe, or any number of little excursions.

Merlin pulled his jacket a little tighter around himself to ward off the chill of the night air and leaned into the side of the building he was using as a windshield. He forced more brightness and cheer into his voice than he actually felt at the moment. "Arthur? Hey! Are you at the train station? I wasn't expecting to hear from you tonight..." Which, for the record, was exactly why he was traipsing about the bad part of London in the dark, thank you very much.

"Yeah, no, I'm not going," Arthur said. "What are you up to? Feel like coming over to watch a film?"

"Hmm," Merlin hedged, looking out into the fog that was creeping along the cobblestones. "That depends."

"On what, Merlin?"

On whether or not Merlin thought he was going to be able to pull any Johns tonight. It was cold, damp and miserable, and while spending the evening laying in Arthur Pendragon’s arms seemed like a much better way to pass the time, there was the matter of the money, which he desperately needed before the registrar’s office kicked him off campus for inability to pay tuition. But he couldn’t say that.

With a snort, Merlin tried to buy some time instead. "You've got awful taste in films...I mean, the latest Transformers movie was just dreadful, like objectively, the plot elements were—"

"Oh, God. Why am I in love with a film student? Of all the things, honestly, no, you can't study literature, or, or, economics, or bloody medicine, you have to be one of those insufferable snobs who is too good for a bit of mindless fun."

Merlin didn't answer. They had gone from the closest sort of friends to...something more only recently and he hadn’t thought that it meant a goddamn thing to Arthur, who was used to getting everything he wanted with no strings attached. He could have said anything, really, and Merlin wouldn’t have cared. Anything but _that_.

"Merlin?" Arthur said. "I was only joking. You can choose the film. Bring over one of those pretentious art flicks, I don't care. I liked the last one."

"You're in love with me?" Merlin asked incredulously. He had to confirm what he thought he’d heard.

"Oh. Right, I did say that, didn't I," Arthur mumbled.

When things had started happening—when Merlin had finally given in to Arthur’s flirtatious smiles and knowing looks—it had been so nice that Arthur hadn't wanted to press for a definition of their relationship. Merlin enjoyed the affection, the attention, and honestly, he wasn’t looking for a boyfriend. He was busy with his _side business_ , you see. He couldn’t deal with clingyness. Or jealousy. Or...bloody fucking love.

"Did you mean it?" Merlin asked softly, pinching the bridge of his nose and falling into a crouch while his brain sped along at a million kilometers an hour.

"Yes," Arthur replied, sounding so earnest and honest that it made Merlin's chest ache.

The sound of feet echoed down the alleyway and Merlin’s head snapped up. In the light from the street, he could see Gwaine, a semi-regular punter who fucked like a champ and always left a great tip. The problem was, he was an unpredictable, noisy fucker and in a moment, the entire house of cards that Merlin was precariously balancing could crumble.

Merlin scrunched farther into the shadows, and swallowing down his panic, said the first thing that came to mind. "That's great news, because I love you too," He could have dashed his own skull to pieces. _Fu-huh-uck!_ Was that really the fastest way to end the call? And still, he was blathering on like an idiot. "I was going to tell you, but I didn't want to scare you off, or anything."

"Oh, I'm glad. I'm glad to hear it," Arthur replied. He sounded relieved.

“Oy, Merlin, you there?” Gwaine, for once, had the sense to hoarsely whisper.  
Merlin stood up, pointed to the phone in hand, and said softly, trying not to rush through hanging up, "All right, I'll be over. We can talk about why you aren't going to your father's this weekend, and whether you want to be called my boyfriend or not, and whether you're okay with having a snob for a boyfriend, and lots of other things," Merlin said. _Lots_ of other things.

Arthur chuckled in his ear, and on a normal occasion, that breathy sound might have made him dizzy with elation but right now, all he felt was sick. 

"See you in a moment, then." He flashed Gwaine a smile and held up his finger until Arthur’s salutation met his ear. Quietly echoing the goodbye, Merlin slipped his phone back into his pocket and came out with a condom. "Going to have to make this quick tonight, Gwaine, there's someplace else I gotta be...”


End file.
